About Rainbow Canyon
Rainbow Canyon off Pelican Island is a shallow reef of coral ridges and sand gullies named for the vivid colors of its sponges and corals. The sheltered site is home to turtles, stingrays, lobsters and clouds of small reef fish. With depths mostly above 15 meters it suits all levels and offers long, easy dives with excellent natural light. It is a relaxed favorite close to Norman Island.
Highlights
Season calendar
Dive site facts: Rainbow Canyon
- Depth
- 6–15 m
- Current
- No current
- Entry
- Liveaboard only
- Level
- Beginner
- Dive type
- Reef
- Region / port
- British Virgin Islands
- Coordinates
- 18.3650° N, 64.5933° W
Conditions & Currents
Guides normally rate the water movement here as next to no current. Dive profiles here run between roughly 6 and 15 metres, so plan your gas and no-decompression limits around the deeper part of the site. It is usually briefed as a dive for beginner divers. The site is reached by liveaboard, so entries are run from the tender or straight off the back deck. Tide, wind and season all shift the picture from day to day, so the crew's briefing on the boat always overrides any general description.
Why dive Rainbow Canyon from a liveaboard?
Rainbow Canyon is one of British Virgin Islands's signature dive sites. A liveaboard sleeps you on the water and puts you in the water for three to four guided dives per day, including dawn and night dives that day-boat operators rarely offer. You skip the daily commute back to port and reach quieter, less-crowded sites in the same region on a single trip.
Below are the liveaboards that include Rainbow Canyon on their British Virgin Islands itineraries.
Liveaboards diving Rainbow Canyon
These liveaboards may visit Rainbow Canyon on selected itineraries — the exact dive sites depend on departure, weather and conditions.
All Star Cuan Law
Virgin Islands